I Need Someone to Love Me More Than All the Others Do
by foreverme98
Summary: Everyone went back to Hogwarts after the war. Hermione and Draco are Head Boy and Head Girl. Draco has changed and Hermione is still getting used to the new Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

She had him addicted to her, and she wasn't even trying. What made it even more unfair was the fact that she didn't seem to feel the same way. Whereas, his eyes followed her everywhere, hers never sought him out, unless it was to glare at him when she felt he was misbehaving. Right now was one of those times, and he planned to milk it for all it was worth.

"I can't believe you," she practically growled.

Trying not to look like a love sick puppy, he forced himself to stay focused on the papers in front of him. "I'm not sure what you mean."

The sound of her books hitting the coffee table echoed throughout the room. "You must be joking," she scoffed.

Slowly, he raised his gaze to her gloriously flushed face. Lifting an eyebrow, he secretly enjoyed the way her eyes narrowed dangerously. "If you're referring to what happened at breakfast...well, that wasn't my fault."

She stomped closer to the lumpy couch, looking for all the world like a drill sergeant. "Not your fault? If it wasn't your fault, then whose was it?" she screeched.

"If you feel the need to blame someone, Granger, then I would suggest you blame that pauper you call a friend," he retorted casually.

He watched as she closed her eyes and took deep, steadying breaths. He loved that he could get her so riled up.

Huffing, she ran a hand through her impossibly curly mane. "Ron was just trying to help me, Draco."

Crossing his arms, he leant back into the cushions. "If by 'help', you mean 'attack', then, yes, Ron was just trying to 'help' you."

"It's not like that." She sighed, looked down at the fuzzy carpet, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "He can be a little harsh, but he was just trying to be a good friend."

Tired of hearing her defend her pathetic excuse of a _friend_ , he jumped to his feet and stormed over to stand directly in front of her. "He called you unattractive, Hermione."

She refused to look him in the eye when she said, "It was meant to be constructive. And you have to admit- he has a point," she finished in a whisper.

Without meaning to, he gripped her shoulders to force her to look at him. It almost brought him to his knees when he saw the resigned sadness in her chocolate colored eyes. "He's wrong." He shook her a little bit when she turned her head to the side. "Are you listening to me?"

"Why do you even care?" she questioned. "You spent our entire childhood trying to tear me down, and I'm glad we've called a truce, but that doesn't mean you have to protect me, Draco."

The urge to break eye-contact was strong, but he held out. Her self-esteem was more important than his stupid pride. "I was a prat. I was a spoiled little brat and I felt threatened by you. I was so lost back then, Hermione. So lost, and I was afraid, but things are different now," he murmured. "I'm different now."

Shaking him off, she took a few steps back. "I know that. You've changed, but I haven't. I'm still the girl who reads too much; I'm the same girl whose hair is still too wild."

"You're gorgeous," he replied, perhaps a bit too fiercely. "You're the prettiest girl in this whole damn school."

Her startled eyes watched him suspiciously.

Feeling more brave than he ever had before, he attempted to close the distance between them. "No one else smiles like you do when you get a good grade on a test. No one's hair shines like yours does when the sun hits it just right. You've got eyes that sparkle and legs that go on for miles." Smiling, he cupped the side of her face. "When I say you're gorgeous, I mean it."

"Draco..." Sucking in a lungful of air, she crossed her arms over her chest. "If this is some sort of joke, then you're not the person I thought you were."

Leaning to rest his forehead against hers, he rubbed his thumb back and forth across her smooth cheek. "This isn't a joke, Hermione. I know this is sudden, but I've felt this way for awhile now."

"I'm-I'm not sure I believe you."

It was hard for him to hear, though he could hardly blame her for her lack of faith in him. He certainly hadn't given her very many reasons to trust him. It was only in the past year that he'd turned his act around, and started treating her like she deserved. It had taken 7 years and a war, but he'd eventually become the kind of person he could be proud of. When he'd learned that Hermione and him would be sharing a dormitory as Head Girl and Boy, he'd been cautiously hopeful because it was the perfect chance for him to make amends. He'd never dreamed she would grant him forgiveness but she had, and he'd grown to love her for it.

"I don't blame you," he replied, his voice quiet. "I just wanted you to know."

"So that's why you hexed Ron?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Releasing her, he nodded. "He had no right to say those things, Hermione. I don't care what his intentions were."

Not replying, she turned around and bent down to pick up her books. Before he could process what was happening, she was safely up the stairs. He ran a hand down his face and stared down at the floor, feeling a little like the boy he used to be- insecure and alone. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but her obvious rejection hurt a lot more than he thought it would have.

Feeling more than a little numb, he made his way towards the kitchen faucet. He was on his second glass when he heard Hermione's soft footsteps clomp down the stairs. He turned right when she appeared in the doorway, and the hesitant expression on her face made his heart start to race. Little tendrils of hope curled around in his stomach, but he fought it down when she just stood there, still as a statue.

"Hermione?"

"I want to believe you," she said. "I realized that I _want_ to believe you, and I think that means something."

"What do you think it means?"

Taking a few steps into the room, she let her mouth twist up into a small smile. "I like you, Draco. I think I have for a while now, but I wouldn't let myself acknowledge that because I was scared."

Letting go of his own fear, he reached out his hand towards her. When she took it, he finally let himself grin like the idiot he was. "Are you not scared anymore?"

"Oh, I'm still scared, but I think you're worth taking a chance on."

He tugged her close. "I won't let you down."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she burrowed her face into his chest. "I'm counting on it. I need someone to love me more than all the others do."


	2. Chapter 2

_Two Weeks Later_

If there was one thing that Draco Malfoy had learned in the past couple of years it would be that people very seldom forgot betrayal. Forgiveness was rare and acceptance was impossible. His father had made sure that he would never be trusted in the wizarding community again, and once-upon-a-time that would have bothered Draco. That's all he used to crave when he was still a boy and life wasn't quite so dark - acceptance.

Now

Well, now he had something even better. He had Hermione.

"What are you thinking about?" said girl whispered in his ear.

Smiling, he reached out for her in the darkness, feeling her soft fingers curl around his instantly. "You."

Instead of replying, she wrapped her free arm across his waist and dug her face into the crook of his neck. He didn't think this moment could get any more perfect than it already was; and he hoped with all he had that it would last. If life took this away, he wasn't sure what he would do, but it wouldn't be pretty because he knew how to fight for survival and he knew how to fight for what was his. It didn't matter if he deserved what he wanted; at least not as long as what he wanted, wanted him back. And, miracously enough, she did.

"Harry knows about us," she murmured, so softly he almost missed it.

One breath. Two.

"Is that a bad thing?" The question sounded weak to his own ears and he hated how pathetically vulnerable it made him sound.

"I've never seem him look so disappointed," was all she said. He didn't find her answer very reassuring. Everyone knew how important Hermione's friends were to her.

"I'm..." taking a deep breath, he did his very best to remain calm. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I know his opinion means a lot to you."

Her warm breath caressed his skin, sending waves of heat to every nerve he had. "I felt ashamed when he confronted me about it," she admitted. "He made me feel like I was doing something wrong by being with you."

Automatically, he grasped her to him, as if he could force her to stay with him. Shame roared through his body, making it difficult to think past the tidal wave of anger that just kept hitting him, over and over again. He wanted to incinerate the Boy-Who-Lived; he wanted to make him feel like _he_ felt - helpless, afraid. Draco knew what kind of person he really was. There was no doubt in his mind that he deserved absolutely nothing in this life or in any other, but he was far too weak to give Hermione up.

"Hey," he heard her voice prod from what felt like miles away. Her hands untangled themselves from around his body, and it felt like the beginning of the end. She was going to leave him because of what her friends thought, and there was nothing he could do to stop her. Panic was starting to set in, paralyzing him in a way no spell ever could, but those same gentle hands cupped his face, and the ice in his veins started to thaw when his eyes looked up and were met with familiar brown ones.

"There you are," she said. The affection in her voice soothed the insecurity lurking in his stomach, but it didn't kill it completely.

He opened his mouth to say something, hoping that he could come up with the magic words to fix this but there weren't any to be had. What could he say that wouldn't push her further away? If he said anything negative towards Harry, she would be angry; if he said nothing, she might leave. He was between a rock and a hard place with no escape in sight.

"Your heart is racing," she commented quietly. Eyes searching, she ran her fingers through his hair. "What's wrong, Draco?"

He cleared his throat. "N-nothing."

Frowning, she leant back to get a better look at him. "You're lying."

The room seemed to be closing in on him. He had to get out. Rolling over, he got up from the bed and started pacing. "If you don't want this anymore..." He swallowed convulsively.

Was he strong enough to get the words out? Could he really give up what they had?

Did he love her enough to think past his wants and desires?

"If you don't want this anymore," he tried again, "then I'll understand."

 _You call that fighting?!_ His mind screamed at him. _That's giving up and Draco Malfoy does not give up! Fight, damn you! Fight!_

"I can't say that I'm the right guy for you, Hermione. I wish I could say that. I really do." The pacing started to get more jerky, more sporadic. "But I've made so many mistakes."

He heard her come up behind him after what felt like an eternity. The moment her arms found their way around him, he closed his eyes and willed himself to stay standing. "I'm not going anywhere," she reassured.

He wished he could let it go at that, but he couldn't. "But Harry-"

"Harry is my friend," she cut in firmly. "And I respect him, but I'm not going to let him dictate my life. We haven't been together for very long, Draco, but I can't imagine my life without you."

What happened next was out of his control. Spinning around, he picked her up and pushed her up against his bedroom door. "I needed to hear that," he panted.

She smiled down at him. "You know, I never dreamed we'd be here right now."

"That's all I used to do when it came to us," he replied, not the least bit embarrassed over how cheesy he sounded. Just a few seconds ago, he'd been so scared that he was going to lose her and he was still giddy with relief.

"You don't have to dream anymore. Come on," she coaxed, smirking. "Let's go to bed."

He happily complied.


End file.
